Business News

EBAY RELEASES 4th EDITION OF ONLINE BUSINESS BAROMETER

The growth trend in online business is going strong. Ebay, the online global marketplace, has published the results of their German “Online Business Barometer." According to the study, which involved 869 professionals, 74% are confident in the developments of their businesses in 2012 with every second trader expecting turnover gains. Only 11% assume that sales will run low and 67% of the questioned traders declared that they have reached their sales target.

The largest growth barriers in the retailers’ opinions are competition, consumer demand, the worldwide economic downturn and legal conditions. They would also like to see a decrease in bureaucracy, tax breaks and legally required minimum wages. Nearly half of the interviewees operate a retail business alongside their online ventures, meaning that on- and offline retail are no longer in competition, but rather compliment and support one another.

“Online-retail has developed to a fundamental economic factor in Germany. Ebay considers itself as reliable partner of the e-tailers and with our Online Business Barometer we've tried to call attention to the accomplishments and necessities of the online entrepreneurs,” explained Stefan Kuhlmann, head of retailer management at Ebay Germany.